2 Shillings - George VI with 'IND:IMP' (1937–1946)

One row for each year the 2 Shillings - George VI with 'IND:IMP' was struck. Prices are medians of verified sold listings matched to that year from the listing: circulated is worn condition up to Extremely Fine, uncirculated is About Uncirculated or better. A count in brackets means fewer than three sales behind the figure; a grey figure marked "type" is the median across every year, shown where that year has no sale of its own yet; years with no sales yet fill in as sales are recorded. Most types have been searched year by year only since October 2026, so later years are still filling in. Use the grade table below for a price by condition across all years.

About the 1937 2 Shillings - George VI with 'IND:IMP'

The 1937 2 Shillings - George VI with 'IND:IMP' is a circulating 2 shillings coin issued from 1937 to 1946, struck in 50% silver. It weighs 11.31g and measures 28.5mm across. Reverse design: Crowned Tudor rose flanked by thistle and shamrock, legend above, denomination and date below.

Mintage figures are recorded for 10 years between 1937 and 1946, 227,853,000 coins in all. 1938 is the scarcest date, with 7,909,300 struck. It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1993), so its value is to collectors only.

Common questions

History and design

George VI's florin kept almost the exact look planned for his brother. Wikipedia notes that it closely follows the Edward VIII pattern, and Tony Clayton says the only change was GR in place of ER. Like the Edward VIII patterns it leaves out the words ONE FLORIN, which never returned.

It was struck every year from 1937 to 1946 in .500 silver, the standard used since 1920. On Coin Hunter's figures the ten dates total about 227 million, rising sharply in wartime to a peak of 39,895,243 in 1942. 1938 is the low point at 7,909,388, a figure both Coin Hunter and Wikipedia give. For 1937 the two differ: Coin Hunter has 13,006,781 and Wikipedia 13,033,183.

Silver ended with the 1946 date. The Royal Mint Museum explains that the metal was needed to repay silver borrowed from the United States during the war, and florins dated 1947 onwards were cupro-nickel.

The proclamation of 18 March 1937 sets out the reverse: a rose, thistle and shamrock under a crown, with the letters G and R below, the inscription FID DEF IND IMP, TWO SHILLINGS and the date. George Kruger Gray designed it, and his initials appear above the first L and second I of SHILLINGS, either side of the stalk. The legend stands for Fidei Defensor Indiae Imperator, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.

The obverse is Humphrey Paget's uncrowned left-facing portrait with GEORGIVS VI D G BR OMN REX. The Royal Mint Museum records that Paget alone was commissioned to produce the effigy after the abdication, and did so in little more than a month. The edge is milled.

Collecting notes

Clayton calls none of the dates scarce, but notes that the 1938 commands a premium. He also lists a 1937 proof and rare proofs for some dates from 1938 onward. The heavily struck war years, especially 1942, are the easiest to find.

Check the date to confirm silver: the cupro-nickel florin of 1947 and 1948 looks the same. No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this type. Florins stayed in use as 10p after decimalisation, and the Royal Mint Museum records that they were withdrawn when the old large 10p ceased to be legal tender at the end of June 1993.